Gaura plant named ‘Perky Pink’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Gaura  plant named ‘Perky Pink’, characterized by its compact and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; and light pink-colored flowers.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Gaura lindheimericultivar Perky Pink.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gauraplant, botanically known as Gaura lindheimeri, and hereinafter referredto by the cultivar name Perky Pink.

The new Gaura is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Narre Warren East, Victoria, Australia. The objective ofthe breeding program is to create new compact Gauras with numerousflowers and attractive flower coloration.

The new Gaura originated from a open-pollination made by the Inventor in1999 of the Gaura lindheimeri cultivar Siskiyou Pink, not patented, asthe female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Gauralindheimeri, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Gaurawas selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of theopen-pollination by the Inventor in 2000 in a controlled environment inNarre Warren East, Victoria, Australia.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Narre Warren East, Victoria, Australia sinceOctober, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Gaura arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Perky Pink have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Perky Pink’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Perky Pink’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofGaura:

-   -   1. Compact and outwardly spreading plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Light pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Gaura can be compared to plants of the female parent,the cultivar Siskiyou Pink. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inNarre Warren East, Victoria, Australia, plants of the new Gaura differedfrom plants of the cultivar Siskiyou Pink in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gaura were more compact and bushier than        plants of the cultivar Siskiyou Pink.    -   2. Plants of the new Gaura had darker colored foliage than        plants of the cultivar Siskiyou Pink.    -   3. Plants of the new Gaura and the cultivar Siskiyou Pink        differed in flower color as plants of the cultivar Siskiyou Pink        had red and white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Gaura can also be compared to plants of othernonpatented selections of Gaura lindheimeri known to the Inventor. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Narre Warren East, Victoria,Australia, plants of the new Gaura differed from plants of other knownselections of Gaura lindheimeri known to the Inventor in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gaura were more compact and bushier than        plants of other known selections of Gaura lindheimeri known to        the Inventor.    -   2. Plants of the new Gaura had darker colored foliage than        plants of other known selections of Gaura lindheimeri known to        the Inventor.    -   3. Plants of the new Gaura and other known selections of Gaura        lindheimeri known to the Inventor differed in flower color as        plants of other known selections of Gaura lindheimeri known to        the Inventor had white-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Gaura.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Perky Pink’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical flowers of ‘Perky Pink’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif., under full sunconditions in an outdoor nursery during the spring and summer with daytemperatures ranging from 18 to 35° C. and night temperatures rangingfrom 10 to 18° C. Three plants were grown in a 15-cm container and hadbeen growing for about six weeks when the photographs and descriptionwere taken.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Gaura lindheimeri cultivar Perky Pink.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.— Gaura lindheimeri cultivar Siskiyou Pink,            not patented.        -   Male parent.—Unknown selection of Gaura lindheimeri, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About one to three weeks.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four to five            weeks.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Compact and outwardly spreading plant habit. Freely            branching growth habit with about seven or eight lateral            branches per plant. Moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 10 to            12 cm.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of inflorescences.—About 56            cm.        -   Plant diameter, single plant.—About 12 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 11 cm. Diameter: About            2.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.2 to 1.5 cm. Strength:            Strong. Texture: Fine pubescence. Color: 144A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:            About 6 cm. Width: About 1.3 cm. Shape: Linear to narrowly            elliptic. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly rough, grainy;            glandular; upper surface, glabrous; lower surface, slightly            pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate; arcuate. Color:            Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A.            Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B.            Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 147B. Petiole length:            About 4 mm. Petiole diameter: About 2 mm. Petiole texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Petiole color,            upper and lower surfaces: 144A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Solitary slightly zygomorphic flowers            arranged on elongated terminal and axillary panicles.            Flowers not persistent. Flowers face mostly outwardly about            45° from vertical. Flowers sessile.        -   Quantity.—Freely flowering; terminal panicles with typically            about 30 to 40 flower buds and open flowers per            inflorescence.        -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period; plants            typically flower from April though October in Southern            California; flowering continuous during this period.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About five to ten days.        -   Fragrance.—Not detected.        -   Flower size.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm.            Depth: About 3 cm.        -   Flower buds (showing color).—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter:            About 2 mm. Shape: Slender, elongated. Color: Towards the            base, 59B; towards the apex, 146B.        -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Four petals in a single whorl.            Length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Shape: Elongated            oblong; cupped; claw-like. Apex: Broadly acute. Base:            Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, satiny. Color: When opening, upper            surface: 65D. When opening, lower surface: Lighter than 65D;            towards the base, 65C. Fully opened, upper and lower            surfaces: Lighter than 65D; venation, 65B.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of four sepals.            Length: About 1.8 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Linear.;            reflexed. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            immature: Upper surface: 64C. Lower surface: 186B. Color,            mature, upper and lower surfaces: 186B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 10 cm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Angle:            Upright to outwardly spreading; axillary peduncles, about            45° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Eight.            Anther shape: Linear. Anther size: About 1 mm by 4 mm.            Anther color: 59A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color:            145C. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:            About 3.5 cm. Style length: About 1.8 mm. Style color: 155D;            towards the apex, 62B. Stigma shape: Knobbed. Stigma color:            144C. Ovary color: 144A overlain with 59A.        -   Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Gaura have not been noted    to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Gaura.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Gaura have been observed to    tolerate temperatures from −4 to 38° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Gaura plant named ‘Perky Pink’, asillustrated and described.